Heros efasciatus

Heros efasciatus is a species of tropical freshwater cichlid native to the Amazon basin in South America.^[1] It is commonly found in the aquarium trade, often in its gold colored variation rather than the wild-type olive green one.^[2]

Heros efasciatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cichliformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Genus:	Heros
Species:	H. efasciatus
Binomial name
Heros efasciatus Heckel, 1840
Synonyms
Chromys appendiculata Castelnau, 1855 Heros appendiculatus (Castelnau, 1855) Chromys fasciata Castelnau, 1855 Uarus centrarchoides Cope, 1872

Diet

Heros efasciatus is one of the few cichlid species that act a regular frugivore, quite notably during the wet season when riparian zones become inundated with water.^[3]

Concerns

An 1865 watercolor painting of heros efasciatus by Jacques Burkhardt.

Over the past few years, the popularity of Heros efasciatus within the aquarium trade has increased. Consequently, this species could be susceptible to over-exploitation, primarily because of their natural low densities and low fecundity.^[3]